Androlog Mail
Regarding Dr. Fugh-Berman's Androlog email of Mar 12 about the harmless
nature of some herbs and foods:
Dr. Fugh-Berman states, 'It's difficult for us conventionally trained docs
to accept that there are harmless pharmacologically active treatments, but
many herbs fall into that category. Foods, too: grapefruit juice is a
potent CYP3A4 inhibitor and increases blood levels of many drugs; chocolate
binds to cannabinoid receptors; soybeans and other beans contain
biologically active phytoestrogens. Saw palmetto is widely used for BPH
(and is somewhat effective, see summary of review below) and is well
tolerated; adverse effects are rare, mild GI sx (nausea and abdominal
pain).'
At the same time that Dr. Fugh-Berman states that there are harmless
pharmacologically active herbs and foods, she shows that they may produce
deleterious effects that may not be harmless. For example, grapefruit juice
increases blood levels of many drugs and saw palmetto may produce nausea and
abdominal pain. If the medicinal value of these products were known to be
significant, their 'harmless' but possibly deleterious side effects would be
tolerable, just as we accept the side effects of all the drugs we prescribe.
But if the products are not known to have medicinal value, why risk exposure
to the possibly deleterious side effects?
Ira D. Sharlip, M.D.
ISharlip@aol.com
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